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Waterloo Region During The First World War

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August 2014 marks the centennial of the outbreak of the First World War. This commemorative website explores Waterloo Region’s reaction to the outbreak of the war, with the goal of presenting Waterloo Region’s place in the grander narrative of Canadian First World War history.

While visiting this website you will be able to interact directly with Waterloo Region’s tangible past. The website first explores the pre-1914 period, to establish the ethnic, political, and economic characteristics of the Waterloo Region. Once this foundation has been established the website explores the outbreak of the First World War and the initial months of the conflict, and most of 1915. This website was an academic undertaking rooted in primary source research, which was created in pursuit of promoting community engaged scholarship. As you progress through the website you will interact with historical photographs, maps, and newspaper articles from the time periods being discussed.

Waterloo Region’s experience during the outbreak of the First World War has been presented here in a timeline format. There are seven timelines: War, German-Canadian Identity, Economics, Politics, Home Front, German Newspapers and Commemoration. To explore any of these seven timelines, click on the timeline tabs above. If you would like to read everything that pertains to a time period, you can click on the Pre 1914, 1914, and 1915 tabs. These tabs contain all of the information that is found in the thematic timelines. As you progress through each of the timelines you will access information and visual aids that explain the significance of specific dates to the Waterloo Region and Canadian history during the First World War.

Enjoy exploring Waterloo Region’s experience during the First World War. Please share our website with your family and friends!

Above is a map of Waterloo Region, Wellington County and Grey County. Cities that are focused on or mentioned a lot in the website have been circled for reference.